My Opinion
With the Pathfinder/Infiniti QX4, you have a solid SUV with decent off-roading abilities. I will try to list the "goods" and "bads" of this SUV: (feel free to add/comment)
1. 3.5 L V6 with 240 HP/265 Torque (automatic tranny): this engine is based on the Maxima's engine. According to Nissan, they have modified the Maxima's engine to produce more torque (thus, lower HP). It is apparently one of the better engine design...being that Maxima's engine is rated as one of the best. I have not seen the actual torque curve, but i assume it has enough low end torque. Note that the 0-60 times have not been very impressive...could Nissan be OVER-rating this engine?? Or maybe it is geared too conservatively (Infinti Q45 never lived up to its performance expectations...some questioned it's power ratings.)
2. Suspension: front independent and rear solid axle. This suspension has been known to provide a relatively comfortable on-road ride. However, on a few occasions, the suspension has been criticized to be overly soft. The rear axle on the Pathfinder is also not very big...this has raised questions whether it can handle heavy off-roading abuse or the addition of a locker/LSD. I have also heard that the suspension of both QX4 and Pathfinder bottoms out in off-roading or with a heavy load (there is a TSB about this). In addition, the front control arms on the both are stamped steel (rather than solid arms or boxed arm [as in 4Runner], both of which are stronger).
3. Unibody: Nissan has been proud of this accomplishment...not sure why?!! First criticism is that the Pathfinder/QX4 has NOT performed well in the off-set crash testing (Marginal rating)...however, it did do good in the full-frontal crash test. In addition, when Nissan went with the unibody for the current generation (previous generation was frame-based), they lost a lot of the off-roading crowd. Previous generation was much more popular with the off-roaders. In defense, car magazines have praised the Pathfinder's ride and solidity. So, if you care about off-roading, then the Toyota 4Runner is still the best bet of the two.
4. Interior: Nissan has done a very nice job with the interior. I think it has one of the best SUV interior. Fit and Finish is good and the placement is near perfect. Materials have been updated throughout the years (yes, it recently got a "soft" dash!)...however, the rear door armrest is hard plastic! (That's cost cutting at it's best!) In the Infiniti QX4, the interior is much better! I believe the '02-up models have REAL wood. Navigation, unfortunately, is still CD-ROM based (even '03 models!!), unlike it's car counterpart (Infiniti G35/Q45)...but it does have a cool (but of dubious usefulness) 3-D bird-eye view on the navigation. The BOSE system has 150 watts to 6 speakers (no subwoofer). When i heard it, it was pretty good with nice bass (clean, but not very deep) from the door woofers. It sounded much better than just 150 watts and 6 speakers...sounded similar to the GMC Envoy's system (which has over 300 watts to 6 speakers). Most car magazines like the BOSE system. You can easily add a small aftermarket subwoofer if needed. It has frontal and side airbags. The side airbags are big enough to actually protect BOTH the chest and head (very cool!). Note that the new '03-up 4runners can be had with side-curtain airbags and DVD JBL Navigation/Audio system.
5. REAR passenger room: This is one of the biggest problem with the Pathfinder. I guess in order for it to have a big cargo space, Nissan decided to compromise rear legroom. That was a bad decision, because the Pathfinder has been universally criticized for this! Entry/Exit from the rear is also problematic due to skinny door design and lack of articulation. I sat in it and i immediately notice the lack of legroom (no room under front seats). For a mid-size SUV, this is not good. The Toyo 4Runner has 1-in more in legroom, but seemed more than that (there is room under front seats). However, the rear bench does have a fold-down center armrest (which '02 4Runner does not have; '03 4Runner has one).
6. Cargo space: Due to #5, this is quite good, up to 85 cu ft (with rear seats folded)...it is less impressive with rear seats in place.
7. Quietness: This has been average with other mid-size SUV, on par with the 4Runner. I have heard the Infiniti QX4 is quieter than Pathfinder. The new 4runner is probably better than both in this area.
8. Value: i think you can easily get a Pathfinder nowadays near invoice, due to the increasing competition. I personally would get the LE due to the availability of memory seats, navigation, and AWD system.
Well, overall, i think the Pathfinder/QX4 is a good SUV. However, would i buy it?? No, i think there are better competition out there...and the redesign is probably a year or two away.
